Constance R. Sutton’s writing, “The Carribeanization of New York City and the Emergence of a Transnational Sociocultural System” and the New York Times article, “Black Incomes Surpass Whites in Queens”, by Sam Roberts gives a strong example of how one can’t generalize a person’s identity based solely by race. This is evidently the case with Caribbean and other island immigrants.
Also color and physical appearances are not the only factors the Carribeanese and islanders use to identify themselves. They also have their own island identities. Essentially, the Carribeanese (like Hispanics, Asians, and other immigrants) are further diversified depending on the various islands they hail from. As Sutton writes, New York City provides the opportunity for these islanders to truly meet and expose themselves to the cultures of other islanders. As a result, there will be “…intergroup separation and association” depending on how well each island culture can relate to one another. Factors that can affect intergroup interaction include language, physical features, and cultural values.
A question that can be posed based on Sutton’s writings is whether the islanders will merge culturally with the predominant cultural groups in the United States or maintain their unique island identities. This is also a question that can be asked for many other immigrant ethnic groups.
In my opinion, merging with predominant cultural groups stems from the loss of unique cultural and ethnic values. This can be prevented when immigrants latch onto memories of their native country and, as a result, they have a sense pride for their culture and are naturally inclined to preserve it. Merging can also be encouraged when people experience a feeling of alienation because they cannot relate to others because of cultural differences. They may feel inclined to learn the culture of their new country in order to feel as if they belong within their community. It is my belief that the preservation of culture and ethnic values comes much more easily in New York City than elsewhere because of the diversity within the city. The feeling of alienation is alleviated because of this diversity and the awareness that many others in the city are immigrants as well.
